


Try, Try, Again

by DianaMoon



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: 5+1 Things, Deathly Hallows Fix, Gift Fic, M/M, Post-War, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-07
Updated: 2010-12-07
Packaged: 2017-11-01 22:22:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/361932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DianaMoon/pseuds/DianaMoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The five things Remus Lupin said or did to win Severus' love</p>
            </blockquote>





	Try, Try, Again

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Karasu_Hime. Veers away from DH by certain people surviving.

The first time Remus tried win to Severus’ love, they both were only twelve years old. Severus was having a rather hard time in Care of Magical Creatures. He being a Slytherin, Remus knew Severus couldn’t admit never having before being exposed to doxies or pixies or even pesky gnomes. He offered his help one afternoon, having found Severus alone by the lake. The dark-haired boy looked skeptical at first but did concede to a few tutoring sessions in exchange for potions help. It wasn’t a resounding success, but kept the young werewolf hopeful.

The second time Remus tried to win Severus’ love happened over a decade later. It was by chance that Remus had bumped into a very drunk Severus at a muggle club one night. He was in no state to return to Hogwarts, so Remus took him to his flat and tended to him for the rest of the night. The next day, Remus woke to find the man gone. The bed had been made and on top of the pillow was a note with a hastily scrawled ‘Thank you’ on it. Remus had kept it on him always.

As such the way life is, the third time took much longer than a decade to occur. Remus used every chance during his short tenure as a teacher to get Severus to give him the light of day. Subtle glances at the dinner table, lingering touches when passing by, even double entendres whenever Severus came by to give him the Wolfsbane. Remus thought he was finally getting through to Severus (glancing back, holding on to the touch, volleying his own double entendres with a smirk) but it all changed when Peter appeared from the dead.

Remus had desperately hoped that every time he honestly defended Severus, either to the other Order members, Sirius, or even poor misguided Harry, that maybe the other man would finally see that he never had any malice. Never once did it occur to him it’d be a futile attempt. 

Oddly enough, when he provided a cover for Nymphadora and her child did Severus react in any way towards him. He hoped to try again if after the war.

When Remus later woke up in the infirmary after Voldemort's defeat (Dora was already out by then), he realized it was now or never. If almost dying couldn't make the other man see... Against the protests of the mediwitches, Remus Lupin stalked out of his room and located Severus’, pushing away with ease the Aurors guarding the man’s door. Seeing Severus’ weak form almost gave Remus pause. Almost. Remus went and leaned over Severus, who had opened his eyes when the other entered.

“Severus, you daft man! I don’t care if you hate me but I love you damn it! After all this, you can’t dare deny that.”

Severus even had the gall to raise an eyebrow out him before Remus kissed him hard. Although Severus _had_ noted all prior attempts, he would always tease his lover that it was that declaration that finally won him over.


End file.
